Discipline

Book synopsis

The beginning of the twenty-first century has already seen its fair share of modern myths with heroes such as Spider-Man, Superman, and Harry Potter. The authors in this volume deconstruct, discuss, engage, and interrogate the mythologies of the new millennium in science fiction fantasy texts. Using literary and rhetorical criticism – paired with philosophy, cultural studies, media arts, psychology, and communication studies – they illustrate the function, value, and role of new mythologies, and show that the universal appeal of these texts is their mythic power, drawing upon archetypes of the past which resonate with individuals and throughout culture. In this way they demonstrate how mythology is timeless and eternal.

Contents

Contents: John Perlich/David Whitt: Prologue: Not so Long Ago – John Perlich: «I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This…»: Lucas Gets Lost on the Path of Mythos – David Whitt: Booyahs, Sonic Cannons, and a 50,000-Watt Power Cell: Teen Titans’ Cyborg and the Frankenstein Myth – Robert L. Strain Jr.: Galactica’s Gaze: Naturalistic Science Fiction and the 21st Century Frontier Myth – Scott Simpson/Jessica Sheffield: Neocolonialism, Technology, and Myth in the Stargate Universe – Michael Marek: Firefly: So Pretty It Could Not Die – Andrew Wood: «Small World»: Alex Proyas’ Dark City and Omnitopia – Tanya R. Cochran/Jason A. Edwards: Buffy the VampireSlayer and the Quest Story: Revising the Hero, Reshaping the Myth – Stephanie Kelley-Romano: Makin’ Whoopi: Race, Gender, and the Starship Enterprise – Beth E. Bonnstetter: Of Structures, Stories, and Spaceballs: Parody as Criticism of Genre Film and Myth – John Perlich/David Whitt: Epilogue: The Circle is Now [In]complete.

About the author(s)/editor(s)

The Editors: David Whitt is Assistant Professor at Nebraska Wesleyan University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. John Perlich is Associate Professor at Hastings College, Nebraska. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Reviews

«This volume represents fan-scholarship at its most energetic, invigorating, and inspiring. The contributors couple a fan’s close reading and enthusiasm with the confidently-informed theoretical scope of academia – and show that not only do the two approaches mesh perfectly, but that they’re really not that far apart. It’s a tribute to the authors that however well you know these shows and movies, you’ll find something here to surprise you; a way of seeing the familiar from a fresh perspective. You’ll want to watch old DVDs again, and check out the ones you haven’t seen. You’ll want to meet the contributors and talk through a few of their ideas – and you get the feeling they’d like that too.» (Will Brooker is Principal Lecturer and Head of Film and Television at Kingston University in London. He is the author of several books and articles on popular culture and fandom, including Batman Unmasked, Using the Force, and The Blade Runner Experience)

Series

Popular Culture and Everyday Life. Vol. 19 General Editor: Toby Miller